Hatchling
by Silver pup
Summary: One shot — Morzan meets his dragon for the first time.


**Hatchling**

Summary: One-shot – Morzan meets his dragon for the first time.

Author's Notes: Morzan is around thirteen when this takes place.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters featured in this story. They all belong to the creative **Christopher Paolini**.

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**Hatchling**  
_By: Silver pup_  
One-shot

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The cracks spread out like a spider's web across the surface of the white egg before it finally collapsed into pieces; finally revealing the newly hatched baby dragon. The dragon blinked its startling pale eyes around the room before finally focusing only on the boy standing above it. For a moment, the two simply stared at one another before the dragon let out a soft squeak, and toddled into the boy's arms. There was a flash of light as the two were bonded forevermore as Rider and dragon.

Morzan watched this all from the corner of the room where he sat with his legs crossed and a red dragon egg in his lap. He gave the happy couple a dirty look before glaring down at the red egg, and knocked his knuckles on it a few times.

"Heeelllo? Anyone in there? Time to come out now."

The egg didn't respond. Morzan glared at it darkly for another moment before crossing his arms over his chest with a huff. He didn't get it really. Why, with all the eggs in the rookery, did he have to end up with the defective one? It had been a week already and the stupid egg still hadn't hatched! All of his other fellow Riders-in-training had their dragons within days after getting their eggs. So why wasn't his hatching too?

"You know, if you come out, I'll give you Lyra's pet mouse for a snack," he bribed, remembering how he saw some of the older Riders giving their dragons treats and presents to get back on their good sides. "He's really fat and soft so I'm sure he'll be tasty. How does that sound?"

The egg remained silent and still.

Morzan scowled for a moment but brightened quickly as another idea hit him. "Okay, maybe you don't care for rodents. I don't blame you. Then how does a nice birdie sound, hmm? We have chicken coops in the back. I'm sure no one would notice if one or two went missing. What do you think of that?"

The egg still remained unresponsive.

"Fine! Stay in there, stupid lizard!" Morzan yelled, chucking the egg to the other side of the room and startling his fellow peers. The egg hit the wall and fell to the ground with a large smack before going still. There was a moment of silence before the impossible happened.

The egg cracked.

At first, Morzan panicked when he saw the crack. Thoughts like _'Master Oromis is going to skin me alive!'_ and _'I'm going to hell for killing_ _a baby dragon!'_ and _'I thought dragon eggs were indestructible?' _ran through his mind. But then he noticed the egg was wiggling back and forth before finally two red legs kicked through the protective layers.

"It lives!" he yelled, scrambling up and running over to the dragon. He sat down and leaned over the egg as the dragon clawed its way through. Anticipation and excitement drummed through him as the dragon finally freed itself from its prison. It opened its eyes and slowly blinked up at the human boy who was looming over him. It then just stared at him with red cat eyes.

Morzan stared back with his normal brown eyes.

The dragon cocked its head to the side and continued to stare.

Morzan leaned down further and continued to stare.

The dragon moved its head closer as well.

Morzan leaned down even further.

The dragon reached up and clamped its small jaws on Morzan's nose.

"Oww!" Morzan jerked back automatically, cradling his poor injured nose. He stared down in shock as the scaled creature snapped it jaws in the air a few times. He narrowed his eyes. The dragon was laughing at him.

"You think this is funny?" he snarled, glaring at the foul creature that dared bite him. "You irritating lizard! I've turn you into dragon stew if you try to eat me again!"

The dragon wasn't impressed. It proved it too by going after Morzan's left boot with enthusiastic little chomps. Morzan kicked at it and it stumbled away, hissing at him angrily. Morzan retaliated by sticking his tongue out at it.

"Morzan, what are you doing on the floor?" Master Oromis was suddenly standing over him with a concerned look on his pale face. When he noticed the red dragon, he gasped in surprised pleasure. "Your egg finally hatched! Congratulations."

"Master Oromis it bit me on the nose!" Morzan cried, scrambling up to hide behind the elf. "Am I going to get sick now? Will I get dragonpox? Am I going to die?!"

Master Oromis sighed, and had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "Morzan, dragonpox isn't real. You need to stop listening to everything you hear from the older Riders."

"But am I still going to get sick? I don't want to die, Master!" Morzan wailed.

"You're not going to die." Master Oromis leaned down and picked up the dragon while skillfully avoiding the snapping jaws that were trying to bite off his fingers. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin piece of dry meat, and gave it to the hungry dragon.

"Hmm. It looks like a male. He seemed healthy enough," he said, poking the dragon in numerous places. The dragon let out an offended squeak, and tried to wiggle out of his arms. Master Oromis ignored him and tried to hand him to Morzan, but the teen stepped away quickly.

"I don't want to hold that thing! It's evil!" Morzan cried, glaring at the dragon.

"Morzan you've been complaining about getting your dragon for years and now when you finally get one you don't want it?" said Master Oromis in his deadly 'I-know-a-dozen-ways-to-behead-you-with-a-hairbrush' tone.

Morzan unwillingly flinched, and took another few steps back away from the scary elf.

"Well, young man, think again. You are taking this dragon and you two are going to form and deep and everlasting bond that will outlive time and cockroaches. Am I understood?"

Morzan nodded meekly.

"Good." Master Oromis beamed as he handed the dragon to Morzan, and then turned around and walked away. Morzan waited until he was out of the room before looking down at the dragon in his arms.

"Well. Looks like we're stuck together, huh?"

The dragon flicked his tail in what could have passed for a rude gesture.

Morzan glared at it. The dragon met his look with a smug one.

"Oh that's it. You are so going down."

It was the beginning of a beautiful (?) relationship.

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**End**

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End file.
